The Martin Luther King, Jr., Encyclopedia

In 1985 Coretta Scott King asked Stanford History professor Clayborne Carson to edit her late husband’s papers. Since accepting her offer, Carson and his staff at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University have published 6 volumes of a projected 14-volume edition of the Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. As the King Papers Project (now the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute) grew, it has built upon the foundation of these scholarly volumes by publishing books and articles intended for various audiences. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Encyclopedia is an outgrowth of the King Institute’s continuing effort to provide educational resources for students, teachers, researchers, and interested readers of all ages.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia is based on the extensive historical research originally conducted for the Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Unlike other encyclopedias, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia draws upon the Institute’s access to vast collections of primary source documents related to King and the movements he inspired. Under the direction of Associate Director Tenisha Armstrong, the Institute’s staff used their unique familiarity with these documents to compile an encyclopedia offering a fresh perspective on the work of Dr. King. The more than 280 entries in the encyclopedia are sure to appeal to everyone interested in the study of the civil rights movement.

Alphabetically arranged, each entry concludes with a list of sources, both primary and secondary, upon which the entry is based. The entries cover all facets of King’s life, including his family, friends, and associates in the movement; his participation in various campaigns and marches; and his relationship and affiliations with various organizations.

The encyclopedia also offers a detailed chronology of Dr. King’s life, a selected bibliography, an introduction providing a broader context for the individual entries, and several photographs. The encyclopedia is being published by Greenwood Press.

Tenisha Armstrong is associate director of the King Institute’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project. Clayborne Carson, a Stanford University history professor, is founding director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Susan Carson is a contributing editor of the King Institute. Erin Cook is the former associate director of the King Institute’s Liberation Curriculum initiative. Susan Englander is associate director of the King Institute’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project.